The Dark Path
by redtrouble
Summary: Darken Rahl unexpectedly meets a young lady from his past and discovers something was told he would never know from anyone: love. After indulging in this delightful turn of events, he finds being loved is, perhaps, better than he imagined. : Rahlxf!OC, spans both seasons in quick little "episodes".


**A/N:** When I saw LOTS, I totally fell in love. I've adored Craig Parker since he played Haldir, and seeing him as Darken Rahl just made my crush explode into unreasonable proportions. I wrote this fanfic but never knew there was a category for it on ff until today... so even though it's old, I wanted to publish it. :) I hope you enjoy this silly little love story.

* * *

Giller's black eyes widened when the Lord Darken Rahl stood before him. The news of his master's arrival had not yet reached his ears and he was stunned in shock to find him scowling with impatience.

"If I were you, Giller," Rahl began, "I wouldn't stand there gawking."

"Of course. It is good to see you, my lord. Please, this way," the weasel whispered, ushering Rahl and his entourage of D'Haran soldiers into his lab. To the assistant, he whispered, "Tell Kru to bring a sample of the potion."

"But, Lord Giller, there's still—" the assistant began to protest.

"Tell her!" he snapped, and the assistant quickly exited. He turned to his master and began to explain the process he'd only begun experimenting with.

After a few moments, a short shriek followed by a crash of glass on the stone floor startled them both from their conversation. Giller marched to the open door, spying the woman on the other side of it.

"What have you done, Kru?" he hissed.

"I told you not to summon me when there are bodies on the rack!"

"Now isn't the time. Get more of your potion."

Rahl frowned at the wooden slab hiding the woman from his view. He hadn't heard that Giller had been working with someone else.

"I brought up all I had," she told him.

"Foolish girl… How dare you spill it?"

"Giller, I grow impatient at your incompetence," Rahl muttered. Giller whirled around to face his master, barely noticing the color drain from his female associate.

"Forgive me, master. This woman's squeamish and weak—"

"Don't make excuses," Rahl said, voice rising a notch. "What is the problem?"

Giller pushed the door open all the way to reveal the responsible party to Lord Rahl. Darken frowned when he laid eyes on her and her shock of red hair similar in color to the very robes he wore. Her eyes were stone gray and skin as smooth as alabaster, though smudged with the black of the dungeon. Glasses perched on her nose, barely hiding her beauty behind a scholarly illusion.

She looked as though she'd seen a ghost when she looked at him.

"A servant?" Rahl asked.

"The potion master," Giller replied. "She's spilled her only product, my lord—but she would be happy to show you her process and explain her work!"

Rahl's blue gaze fixed on Kru's.

"Explain," he demanded. She bowed her head.

"Of course. This way, my lord." Kru turned and led the D'Haran company through the fortress and down a flight of stairs to her phylactery. "I've been able to use Giller's tools to create a potion that would negate the effects of the Confessors."

She whirled around to face them during her explanation and her long, slim fingers delicately pushed her glasses up her nose. The color that had drained from her returned as she excitedly explained her work. As she ran through her process and the list of ingredients, Rahl frowned, hung up on the first comment she'd made.

"Wait…" he interrupted. "What do you mean by negate the effects of the Confessor?"

"Simply, when she attempts confession, it will fail."

He stared at her in disbelief.

"How often must one consume it?"

A bright smile blossomed on her lips and he flinched inside. Kru seemed far too pure to be working with Giller.

"Just once, my lord," she replied, "and your soul is immune to confession." Her gray eyes glittered momentarily when she met his gaze. "I'm sorry, my lord, but the Confessor will still be able to read those without training such as yourself and the Mord Sith, but she will not be able to confess you."

"No, you've done very well, Kru," Rahl soothed, moving closer to her. "It is a pity that you spilled all you'd made. I would very much have liked to see it in action." He gently ran his hand down the side of her face and she trembled ever so slightly.

"Oh, the potion works, my lord. I regret that I could not demonstrate… but it won't be long before I make more. The recipe is complete."

"Why did you break the only dose?" he asked, suddenly gripping her jaw.

"I do not have the stomach for Giller's torture," she replied quietly. "I make the potions, but I will not deal with victims. If Giller thought he could have created the potion on his own, I'm sure he'd have been rid of me long ago, my lord. But he tolerated my demands that I never see the bodies… until today. Forgive me."

Rahl's grip loosened and he released her. He stared, perplexed by her innocence.

"You are confused, my lord?" she asked, reading his expression.

"How is it that someone like you has come to work in such a place?"

She smiled again, and the carnal nature inside of him stirred in desire.

"I don't have to be brooding like Giller to do my work. I may not agree with torture, but I am not afraid of death…" She peeked at him over the top of her glasses and he closed the distance between them. "It was an opportunity to serve you," she explained softly and then bowed her head. "I promise you, my lord, that I have your well-being at heart."

Rahl raised his brows in interest and then finally turned around to leave.

"Kru?"

"Aeriana Kru," she replied.

"Mm. If the recipe is complete, then you are not required to make the potion. Anyone could create it," he stated. She nodded.

"That's true…"

"Then you will return to the People's Palace with me, and you will help me to understand Giller's updates into his research." He glanced back at her. "You will see to the journey-books of all of my research… and to any other needs I may have."

Her widened eyes almost seemed terrified.

"Is there a problem?" he asked, but she shook her head.

"No… my lord…"

"Good. I do not wish to be here longer than I have to. Be prepared to leave." And he swept from the room.

/

It had been many months since Aeriana had come to work as Rahl's research foreman at the People's Palace. She was dressed in the red robes of the palace officials. Her hair was washed and eyes lined with charcoal.

When he had the time, he watched her from afar and loved the way her smile seemed to brighten whatever space she occupied. He felt lighter whenever he saw it. The carnal desires he'd felt at Giller's when he'd first laid eyes on her had been raging and he lusted after her every step. He had whatever woman he wanted and he didn't have to stop at her, but something about her purity gave him pause. He was continuously perplexed, more so by her promise that she was always thinking of his well-being.

One evening, he summoned her to his chamber and commanded his guards to leave them. He motioned for her to sit, and so she carefully perched on a velvety ottoman and waited apprehensively for what he had to say.

"I've watched you for a time, Aeriana," he began, "and you've held your word faithfully. And yet, you still smile, even with so much ugliness in the world—with the rumors flying around about the Seeker and his quest to destroy me. You stand faithfully in my service and I cannot help but wonder how two traits exist in you that do not in any of my other servants."

She lowered her head and sighed as though she knew the day would eventually come when she would have to come clean about her feelings.

"Please don't make me say it…"

"But I'm so eager to hear the tale," he snapped coldly. She swallowed hard and her face contorted into pained concession.

"When I was just a small girl, my parents worked here in the People's Palace, and so I became a playmate of the princeling, Darken Rahl, who was only a few years older than I. We played together often and became what I believed to be dear friends.

"One day, my young master Rahl overheard me tell another child playmate that I loved him—love as young and innocent children do—and he misunderstood my feelings. When I saw my princeling friend, he told me that if I ever used the words again to anyone, I would die instantly, and cursed me." Her stone gray eyes looked glittery with potential tears. "I've never said it. Not to anyone."

Rahl's heart beat wildly at the implications and the sudden memory. He did recall her story, and the jealous rage he'd felt upon hearing her silly words—words she'd used to say to him. _I love you, Darken,_ she'd told him many times. He believed her. He never imagined she'd tell another, and he was too young to understand her love had been for anyone and everyone. But his love had been for her alone, and their childhood promises had meant nothing after he had heard her betrayal.

But she did love him, after all of this time—after he'd cursed her and banished her from his sight—and that pleased him more than he imagined it could've. When she looked up, the corner of his mouth twitched into a smile.

"If that's true," he said quietly, "then wouldn't it be good to die knowing you've said the words that would please me?"

Aeriana closed her eyes and a few tears slipped down her cheeks. She met his blue gaze again.

"I love you," she said solemnly. When nothing happened, a mask of confusion overtook her sorrowed expression, and Rahl's smile blossomed openly.

"I was a small child," he explained, "and had little skill to curse a worm, much less a young girl." He crossed to her and knelt in front of her. "Still… it pleases me to hear it. You've remained loyal to me for quite some time."

"If I may…" she began quietly, and he nodded with permission. She delicately pushed her glasses up her nose by the rims. "It is not for what you do—or what you do not do. Not for the House of Rahl. I wish to help _you_, my lord, because I _love_ you. And I have since we were small children…"

He ran his thumb across her bottom lip.

"Say it again," he commanded.

"I… love you…" She was hesitant, nervous.

"Again." He grabbed her face hard and she winced.

"I love you."

"Again."

"I love you, Darken—"

He pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her so long that she gasped for a breath when he gave her a second to rest. That's what he had been longing to hear: her innocent words that told him by name how much she loved him. When he kissed her again, he pushed his tongue inside her mouth and explored, eager for a taste.

When they were children, he'd given her his first kiss. Before she came along, he'd never wanted to anything to do with girls; but Aeri, as he'd called her, had changed all of that. _I want to try something_, he'd told her, and he'd made her swear to do it before he told her what it was. She'd sworn she would, eagerly and innocently; she'd trusted him implicitly. When he kissed her, she had blushed.

And she was blushing then, too. Her cheeks were bright red and it only made him hungry for more. Rahl nipped at her bottom lip as he withdrew.

"Oh, Aeri," he muttered quietly, amused by her expression. "You haven't changed a bit."

"My lord?"

"The last time I kissed you, you flushed just as bright," he explained. "Unfortunately, we don't have time for other things… Perhaps later, I will call for you."

She nodded, embarrassed, and stood to leave.

"Wait," he commanded, and she, of course, obeyed. She immediately came back to his side and he eyed her thoughtfully.

He carefully removed her glasses and brushed her eyelids closed. He felt the fear under her skin at his touch, but he did nothing to harm her. Instead, a warm glow emanated from his fingertips.

"Open your eyes," he said. When she did, they widened in surprise.

"I can… see…" she whispered, touching her face—feeling for her glasses as if to confirm it was true. "My lord?"

"I can't have any mistakes made due to poor vision…" he muttered. She smiled and it pricked some mysterious place in his chest. Truthfully, he wanted to see her eyes unhindered.

"Thank you, my lord," Aeri said. "Anything to better serve you."

/

Darken Rahl stared at his reflection in the nearest mirror and cautiously touched the tiny slice that his brother's sword had made before he'd escaped.

"I have news, my lord," Egrimont's growly voice announced as he entered. "Our sorcerers have discovered that the wizard Zeddicus is using an obscuring spell to mask our tracer cloud."

"No more excuses, Egrimont," Rahl said darkly. "Find the wizard and bring me the box."

Egrimont nodded and excused himself. Rahl leaned closer to the mirror to examine the cut and then angrily stormed from his travel chamber and through the People's Palace. The Seeker had, once again, interfered with his plans. Giller's research into the Confessor power had been foiled by Kahlan's blood rage reaction to the ancient tools, and the only real success of the project had been Aeri's potion completed months before. His soul was now immune to confession, but he was not happy by his first encounter with the Seeker.

Most of all, Kahlan's words had irritated him. _And what would you know about love?_ she'd asked him. _Except that you will never feel it... from anyone._ Her arrogance was irritating. And since they had managed to overcome their desperate plight, he felt the need to physically understand how wrong she was. And it wasn't true. After all, Aeri had proved it.

"Summon Aeriana to my bed chambers," he told the nearest guard and then he stormed off in that direction himself. He would feel her love. He'd waited long enough.

Rahl took his time in the bath, washing off the sweat from his fight with his dear brother. An attendant announced when his young researcher had arrived.

"Show her in," he instructed. The attendant bowed and disappeared through the door. A moment later, Aeri was ushered inside and Rahl motioned to the attendant to leave them alone. He studied the red-headed woman in front of him, her head kept low to avoid looking at him.

"My lord?" she asked timidly. "Is there something I can do for you?"

"Come here, Aeri," he beckoned, lounging with his arms propped on the edge of the pool. She crossed over to him and knelt down. "I've had a trying day," he explained, "and I find myself tense. There are knots in my back requiring a gentle touch."

Aeri met his gaze.

"My lord?" she wondered. "Wouldn't a Mord Sith be more qualified to—"

"I've not summoned a Mord Sith," he interrupted her impatiently. "I have summoned you. Now come into the bath and do as I've asked you."

"Of course, my lord," she replied and stood up.

Aeri retied her falling hair with two silver sticks and shyly undressed while Darken relaxed on the pool's edge. He did not watch her, merely waited with absolute awareness of her presence. He felt the excited flutter in his chest and gut as he heard her clothes fall to the floor. His muscles tightened in anticipation when she entered the bath and crossed to him.

Rahl sighed when he felt her fingertips press into his shoulders. The touch was timid and gentle.

"Harder," he commanded, and she pressed into his skin, knuckles digging into muscle with more force. She worked along his shoulders, down his spine, and around his shoulder blades. "Much better…" he muttered, laying his head onto his arms and closing his eyes.

She worked for awhile, pressing hard and grinding out the knots; she took breaks between the work to rub her palms over his skin, soothing out the muscles to the best of her ability. The further down his back her hands drifted, the more Rahl's flesh tingled with anticipation. Of course she hadn't the skill of a Mord Sith, but he was finding the massage rather enjoyable.

And this kind of dedicated service should always, only be for him. The Mord Sith and his D'Haran army were bound to him through magic and pain, but she had merely sworn herself to him with love. A rare and powerful gem among oaths, and yet he knew nothing of it.

Darken lifted his head and slowly turned in the water. His eyes lingered over her bare shoulders and collarbone before going to her face. He caressed her brow and cheek then ran his thumb across her bottom lip. When he kissed her, she shyly kissed back. His hand dropped to her shoulder and then to her lower back. When he pulled her close, their bodies pressed together and excited him in a way she was sure to notice.

When Darken deepened the kiss, Aeri returned it with invested interest, but her lower lip was trembling so noticeably, that he pulled back.

"What's wrong?" he asked, brushing her lip with his fingers to feel the nervous vibration.

"My lord, I certainly wish to please you," she began quietly and her hot breath tickled his wet fingertips. "However, when I told you I'd never told anyone I loved them, I also meant that I have never loved another…" She met his blue gaze as he sought to understand her meaning. "Ever… and in any way…"

A dark smile spread across Rahl's lips as he realized Aeri was entirely pure. He stroked her bottom lip again and tucked a flyaway strand of her hair behind her ear; his movements were slow, filled with tension extended by his sudden, excited anticipation.

"How very interesting…" he mumbled, unable to keep the eager energy out of his voice. "Attendant!" he called and the woman quickly scurried in. "Bring me a towel," he ordered, and two were brought without delay. He motioned for Aeri to exit the bath and dry off. He dipped into the water as she did what he'd commanded and then climbed out himself.

When they were back in his bed chamber, he noticed she had the towel wrapped around her and was hugging it close, eyes full of fear. He grinned and stalked over to her and her eyes watched his predatory movements as if he were some giant cat on the prowl. He gently traced a path up her arm and then snatched the towel off of her small frame.

"Aeri…" he breathed. "There's nothing to be afraid of…"

He bent down and kissed her, skipping tender touches for a constant hot and salivated exchange. He pulled her into him and heard her moan when she felt how hard he was pressing against her stomach. He steered them toward the bed and barely let her catch her breath as she fell back onto the velvety comforter before he was on top of her and kissing her once more.

His hands caressed her body in rough and tantalizing motions. Pleasure was coveted, pain avoided—but Darken knew there was something to be said of the two feelings working in concert with one another. He would make Aeri feel such intense pleasure, she'd beg for it to never stop. But there was something else exciting him… Her virginal walls would pulse with pain inflicted simultaneously.

A cruel training a Mord Sith could be proud of.

His mouth moved down her jaw to her neck where he nursed her tender flesh, sucking and biting the cries out of her. Her fingers grasped at his back, dully raking flesh as her body willingly rose up to meet him. He leaned back to take a moment to look at her panting beneath him, already starting on the path of ruin. He was going to ruin her—stain the snow, so to speak.

He reached behind her and yanked a silver stick from her hair and drew an invisible line down her cheek and throat, across her chest and between her breasts, where the rising and falling motion caused the point to suddenly press deep into her flesh. Aeri's eyes had grown hungrier under his physical instruction—hunger mixed with ever-present fear—and he was looking forward her to next action.

She leaned up to kiss him but he kept the silver stick pointed at her heart and it jammed into her breast, provoking a cry of pain. She dropped back onto the bed and exhaled a deep breath, understanding the cruel torment that her master loved so much. He saw a flicker of defiance in her eyes and she leaned up again, ignoring the pain, and sought his mouth with her own.

He felt the second stick drop out of her hair and her red tresses came tumbling onto her shoulders and down her back. He discarded his silver tool and returned her kisses, eventually pressing her back into the sheets.

"Aeri…" he groaned, grabbing a fistful of her red hair then yanking her head back. He nibbled her neck and suddenly plunged inside of her. The exclamation that followed stirred him up and he repeated the motion, ripping more screams from her lungs.

The pleasurable torture excited him and he created a rough rhythm while continuously bruising her body with his mouth. And then something strange happened… He felt something wet on her neck and tasted the saltiness of tears.

Darken paused and lifted his head to look into her gray eyes. Tears were fast-falling from her ducts, but she kept her sobs swallowed so as not to upset him. At first, he said nothing—did nothing—only stared as still as stone. Something inside him softened and a strange desire to take her pain away overwhelmed him.

Darken climbed off of her and leaned back, kneeling before her. He tugged her up into his lap so that she could straddle him and he held her close. With her hair falling around her face in tangled waves from his rough love-making, she looked extremely erotic and it caused his heart to beat faster. He gently wiped her tears away.

"I will take the pain away," he whispered huskily, "and you'll feel only… intense pleasure." He stroked her cheek with his thumb, slowly erasing the evidence of tears. Aeri shook her head.

"No…" she whispered. "Don't. I want all of the feelings you give me… the pleasure and the pain…"

Darken found himself once again bewildered by her innocence, and even though he'd stolen her maidenhead and bloodied the morning snow, she was seemingly incorruptible. He wondered what kind of magic could accomplish such a thing.

In spite of her protest, he was determined to take away her pain, although he no longer sought a magical solution. He gently moved inside of her and directed slow and tender movements until he worked her past any ounce of discomfort.

"Tell me again," he whispered hotly in her ear. Their chests were pressed tightly together and their lungs seemingly collided with each heavy breath. Her soft moans teased his cheek with her kisses and, when her lips hovered over his, she complied with his request.

"I love you," she breathed. He pressed deep inside of her and nipped at her lip.

"Again…"

"I love you, Darken…"

Just like that, he made love to her until, exhausted, she fell asleep tangled in his sheets. He watched her breathing easily in slumber; he saw the deep purple and dark brown patches he'd made on her neck and shoulders and chest. They were the blatant indicators that marked her as his. He knew they'd be tender and sore to the touch, but he couldn't bring himself to remove them.

"You belong to me now, Aeri…" he told her, voice hushed in the quiet.

/

It happened so fast, Aeri wasn't even sure what was happening until it was over. Her escort back to the People's Palace from Darken Rahl's last station had been ambushed by the Seeker and his companions, quickly overwhelmed, and cut down.

"Don't worry," Richard told her, pulling her into the forest. "You're safe now!"

"What have you done?" she exclaimed.

"We rescued you!" Kahlan replied. Aeri stumbled in the underbrush but Richard pulled her back to her feet and through the woods until they reached a point they believed to be safe.

Aeri collapsed, taking deep breaths in attempt to avert the panic welling up in her chest.

"Are you all right?" Kahlan asked, going to Aeri's side.

"What have you done?" the girl muttered. "What have you done? Why did you do that? Why?"

Kahlan glanced up at Richard and then to Zedd. Both looked bewildered.

"We rescued you from the D'Harans…" Richard replied.

"Rescued me?" she exclaimed. "Rescued what? I wasn't captured! They were escorting me back to the People's Palace!"

The Seeker and his friends were more than a little dumbfounded. Aeri's gasping grew more haggard and deep as her trouble breathing increased. She attempted to sniffle back her tears, but the harder she fought to breathe, the more the tears pushed out on their own. Her heart was pumping blood so fast and hard, she thought it might thump right out of her chest.

"Zedd, what's happening to her?" Richard asked, alarmed. The wizard threw himself onto his knees in front of the red-head and grabbed her face, inspecting her eyes, her pulse—everything.

"She's having a panic attack," he assessed, holding her head up as her weak fingers clawed at his robes in her overwhelmed anxiety. He closed his eyes and began muttering a spell to calm her. She grunted and cried and tried with all of her might to breathe, but her lungs weren't filling with air.

After a few moments, she began to relax as Zedd's spell overcame her. Her breathing returned to normal and she slumped down into the dirt.

"Tell us, child… Who are you?" Zedd asked quietly.

"I'm nobody," she replied. "I was Lord Rahl's research foreman, but the position has been dissolved. I merely serve him in attendance now…"

Zedd glanced up at Richard, who pivoted his gaze to Kahlan's blue eyes and then went back to Aeri.

"You're a servant?" he confirmed and she nodded. "What's a servant doing with an escort from the Dragon Core?"

Aeri's tears were soft.

"Please… you should've killed me with them. Now I can never go back…"

"Go back? Why would you go back?" Kahlan muttered, but Aeri only cried.

...

"My lord!" Egrimont exclaimed, rushing into Rahl's private chamber. His master emerged from the room housing the two Boxes of Orden.

"What is it, Egrimont?"

"Lady Kru's escort was attacked by the Seeker," he said, and Rahl's muscles suddenly tensed. "None survived, my lord."

"And Aeri? What of her? Where is she?" His urgent tone rose with each question until he was shouting.

"The Seeker and his companion's tracks led into the woods. Lady Kru was with them. We followed them, but we lost their trail."

"Idiot!" Rahl boomed. "Find her now or you and your men go missing next!"

...

The Seeker and his companions had found a place to set up camp for the night while they figured out what to do about the girl they'd claimed to have rescued. She'd sat quietly by the fire for a long time and hadn't said a single word to them.

The crickets chirped, the owls occasionally complained, and the fire popped and crackled, but there were no other noises otherwise as dinner roasted over the spit. When it was done, Richard cut them all a slice of rabbit meat and Kahlan portioned the bread onto each plate.

"Here you are," she said softly and handed a plate to the red-headed girl.

The girl's stone-colored eyes were red with distress and Kahlan was moved by her sorrow when the girl turned her gaze upon the Confessor. It took a moment, but she eventually accepted the plate, though she did not eat.

"Can I ask your name?" Kahlan asked gently, but she only pursed her lips to keep out the trembling.

"Lord Rahl will surely believe I've betrayed him…" she whispered.

"Why does it matter what Rahl thinks?" Richard wanted to know. "You're free now. You can start a new life. You don't have to be afraid of him anymore. He can't hurt you now."

"Hurt me? Yes, he probably will…" she whispered. Kahlan took Aeri's hand and held it gently.

"That won't happen," she insisted. "Do you have any family anywhere?"

"No, my family is dead."

"Is there anyone you know? Somewhere we could take you that you'd be safe?" Richard asked.

Aeri looked thoughtful for a moment as she considered her options. She had no desire to run away from Rahl, but knew going back to him would surely mean death. Perhaps there was a way to convince him she hadn't betrayed him, but he was already so suspicious of her love for him; running away, she decided, would only prove it.

And if there was a chance he could be convinced, she had to try. She had no desire to live without him. Once upon a time, it may have been possible… but now that she had been with him—loved him—she knew there was no going back. There was no moving on.

"I need to go back to the Palace," she decided.

"What? That's suicide! We're not giving you back to Rahl!" Richard protested.

"Please!" Aeri begged. "I have to go!"

"Why?" Kahlan asked. Aeri swiped a tear from her eye.

"I want to stand by him…"

Kahlan withdrew her hand from Aeri's loose grasp. Zedd narrowed his gaze on the red-head.

"Do you truly believe in that monster's lies, child?" he asked, bewildered. "Can you really support the terrible things he's done to the world?"

"Believe in them? It is not for me to say one way or another. If you ask me, I cannot say I would do the same. I don't like all of this war and death…"

"Then why return to Rahl?" Kahlan asked. "Why not support the Seeker in his quest to defeat him?"

"How can I support the Seeker," Aeri balked, "when his mission is to kill the man I love?"

"Love…?" Kahlan whimpered and the group was stunned into silence. Aeri stood up and backed away from the camp.

"Please… don't stop me. Thank you for saving me, even though I didn't need it; you really were trying to help me. You've been kind, and I won't wish harm on you… but I cannot wish you well. Please understand… and farewell."

When the red-headed girl departed, Kahlan, Richard, and Zedd stared at one another in deep-set confusion.

"Did we hear that right?" Zedd muttered, jaw slack in disbelief.

"She's in love with Rahl?" Richard asked. Kahlan shook her head, understanding how truly unbelievable it was.

"I don't understand," she said. "I sensed no evil in her. When I looked into her eyes, I could tell she was neither corrupted nor spelled."

"Then what?" Zedd wanted to know. "To love a tyrant like Rahl…"

"I know," she agreed. "That girl must have a very pure spirit…"

"Pure?" Richard confirmed, skeptical.

"Yes. She can see the good even in someone as evil as Rahl…"

Zedd looked into the woods where the girl had run off and shook his head.

"May the Creator have mercy on her," he mumbled. "She's going to need it…"

...

Darken Rahl whirled around when he heard his soldiers in the hall, breaking his pacing and facing the door. Several soldiers appeared and then Egrimont swiftly entered. Aeriana was escorted behind him. A soldier tossed her into the room and she fell to her knees before her master.

"We found her leaving the woods, heading toward the palace," Egrimont explained. "My lord, she says she escaped from the Seeker, but it's possible she's working for him and only trying to trick you."

Rahl motioned the men to leave. There was a moment's hesitation but they dared not anger their master and left quickly, closing the door behind their exit. Aeri stayed quiet on the floor, head down, as Rahl slowly stalked closer. He knelt down in front of her and brushed the hair from her face.

"Aeri," he began, and she lifted her head.

"My lord," she began, "The Seeker—he thought I was in trouble and killed my escort. He believed he was rescuing me, but I left their camp and hurried back to you. I told them nothing, my lord. I have not betrayed you!"

"I believe you…" he said quietly. Her frightened eyes looked from one blue orb to the next. "I don't believe you'd betray me…"

He reached out to touch her face and she flinched. He gently stroked her cheek and caressed her lower lip.

"I love you…" she whispered. "I would never betray you…"

He reached up to brush the hair from her eyes and she flinched again. Rahl frowned, anger quickly boiling inside of him.

"If you love me, why do you shrink away from my very touch?" he exclaimed, grasping her jaw. "What has the Seeker said to make you fear me?"

"Nothing, my lord! The Seeker said nothing about you—nothing I could ever believe!"

"Then what is it?"

A couple of tears escaped her already red eyes and her response was quiet.

"My lord… forgive me, but… I've only seen your kindest… when you're at your absolute cruelest…"

Rahl was physically taken aback by her honesty. She truly believed he thought she'd betrayed him and that he would punish her for it, and she still returned to him. Rahl, however, had only wanted her to return safely; he was afraid the Seeker might poison her against him. That hadn't happened… and he had no intention of hurting her.

"You don't have to fear that from me," he whispered. He stroked her jaw and slipped his hand down to caress her neck. "My gentle touch will only be for you."

He kissed her softly and was pleased when she kissed him back. Her fear went away with his promise and he pulled her into him. In that moment, Rahl realized that he wanted to protect her—to keep her just the way she was: fragile and innocent. He'd grown to like having her feelings, the feelings of love and adoration… feelings just for him.

Aeri suddenly pushed into him until he was flat on his back and she had climbed on top of him. She clutched his vest and hesitated in her words.

"Aeri?"

"May I draw a bath, my lord?" she asked suddenly, trying to force her courage out of her. "I'm filthy from my adventure in the woods…"

"Of course," he replied. His fingertips glided along her arm and he stared appreciatively at the rise and fall of her chest. She carefully took him by the wrist and guided his hand to her tender throat.

"And will you bathe me, my lord?" she asked nervously. A feral glint lit up behind his eyes. "Only you can cleanse me properly…"

She felt like an idiot saying it—mostly for fear of rejection—but he responded well to the come on. He grinned and let his hand drift across her collarbone and down her chest to her breast. He traced the shape to the edge of her dress, between her breasts, and back up her chest where he flattened his palm to feel the pulse beneath her skin.

A hot bath was drawn.

/

Aeri pushed off of his bed the moment her lord entered the chamber.

"My lord?" she asked. Worry was evident on her face.

"We have little time," Rahl explained as he crossed the room to her. "The Mord Sith and I depart to search for the Seeker. If we hurry, we may be able to reach him in time before he puts the boxes together."

Aeri nodded and swallowed the lump in her throat.

"Please be careful, my lord…" She laid her hand on his chest and saw the trembling in her fingers. "I'm so scared for you…"

"Aeri, listen to me… If something happens and I don't make it back, you'll be in danger. As one of my supporters, I doubt the people will show you mercy," he said and she nodded. He produced a chain of lapis beads and wrapped it around her right wrist and hand until it fit tightly. "Never take this off," he instructed. "It will protect you if I cannot."

"Please…" she whimpered. "Please don't go…"

"I must." Rahl gently held her cheek in his palm and caressed her skin with his thumb. She hugged him tightly.

"I love you," she told him, and he closed his eyes to soak in the feeling. After a moment, he pulled out of the hug to look into her eyes and he grinned.

"That's a good girl," he said quietly. "Now dry your eyes and wait for me."

She nodded obediently. After several kisses, he departed and Aeri sat back on the bed to wait for her master to return.

Only he did not.

/

The messengers carrying news of Lord Darken Rahl's death reached her ears long before the people who ransacked the Palace did. For awhile, Aeri remained there, sitting on the bed, waiting and crying and hoping he would come to her and the couriers words were only lies.

The servants forced her to run with them when the mob broke through the gates and swarmed the courtyard. They smuggled her out through secret passages and hid themselves in small villages. One month passed and Aeri was merely bone and skin, gaunt with grief. Her skin looked porcelain against her shock of red hair and her gray eyes were constantly rimmed with the red of tears.

She was sitting by the hearth, alone in the cabin, when he came to her. The fire raged nearly six feet high and his red robe and dark hair appeared separate from the flames.

"Aeri…" Darken Rahl began quietly. Her jaw hung open in stunned silence. "You don't look well at all."

"My lord…?" she breathed. "You're alive?"

He stepped out of the fire pit and crouched in front of her.

"Not alive, Aeri," he replied as she reached out to touch him. Her hand passed through his cheek. "I'm merely a spirit. I've come to tell you to end your grieving. You'll need your strength to face what's to come…"

"I don't understand…"

"There are things happening in this world. The Keeper, whom I serve, is waging war on the living and we must all do our part. And when he has dominion… you and I will be reunited in the Underworld." Rahl brushed his hand through her hair and watched his fingers pass right through.

"Couldn't I join you now?"

"No," he said firmly. "You must stay alive… for now." The idea of her dying did not sit well with him. "It will not be safe for you here, I'm afraid… You see, the Keeper's banelings are headed straight for this farmstead."

"I should warn the others," she began to say, concern lacing her tone.

"Don't," he instructed. "The banelings must kill, and they will not stop chasing. Now you must go and hide. My beads will protect you."

She nodded and scrambled to her feet. Rahl stood up and resisted the urge to kiss her; he could never feel it.

"I will do as you say," she promised. "Please don't make me wait too long."

His gaze lingered over her body and returned to her eyes.

"Go now."

She went to the door but looked back.

"My lord?" she beckoned and he acknowledged her. "I… miss you. So much."

"Of course you do," he said with a smile. "You belong to me."

"Always," Aeri agreed, and then she left.

/

The woods had mostly been clear while Aeriana traveled. Occasionally, she stumbled upon a D'Haran patrol, but was usually able to avoid being detected. The banelings came but when she ran, she always managed to outrun them. She could not detect the magic Rahl had imbued the lapis beads with, and she did not know how they kept her safe… but she was sure her good fortune did not stem from her own prowess.

Fortunately, there was no running for her—not for nearly two weeks. It had been just as nearly long since she'd encountered a town or roadside tavern; this time, she was neck-deep in forest and near to running out of food. She was lonely, still heartbroken, and growing hungry.

Aeri closed her eyes and thought a moment. She envisioned her dear lord's face and felt a moment's peace. She sat down right there by a tree and relaxed, allowing her mind to remember a better time so that she could fill herself up with the strength of those memories.

A snap of a twig pulled her from her innermost thoughts and her eyes flew open and were wide in alert. She did not call out, only silently waited, fearing the banelings may have found her and it would be time to run again.

Only the man that appeared was no baneling and he traveled alone.

"Excuse me?" he asked in a nasally tone. "Are you all right?"

"Lord Rahl?" she whispered, hearing for a moment the voice of her master since she was, in fact, looking upon his face.

"Oh, no," he muttered with a smile that looked so much like her lord's. "I just look like him. I'm Walter."

Aeri's hopeful expression quickly faded as she remembered the lookalike Rahl had once told her he kept.

"_The bells," she said. "It's time for devotions…"_

"_I've no desire to lead prayer today," he muttered into her skin, lips and tongue drinking in the taste of her flesh. She sighed in pleasure and gently ran her fingers through his hair. "I have… other desires requiring my... full and undivided attention…"_

_His sudden and hard kiss drove her wild and she momentarily lost her puzzlement over the situation. She eagerly kissed back, never tiring of his taste._

"_My lord," she muttered when he moved on to savor other parts of her body. "Who will lead the people's devotion if not you?"_

_He unlaced the front of her dress and she could feel his hot breath on her breasts._

"_I keep a lookalike for just such purposes," he replied. She moaned when she felt his wet tongue on her nipple. "Fear not, Aeri… Today, you're all mine…" His bite caused her to cry out._

"Hello?" Walter asked again. "Are you okay?"

Aeri blinked twice as she was pulled from her erotic memory and she studied the man in front of her.

"I'm hungry," she replied. "It's been almost two days since I last ate."

"Here," he said, pulling a wrapped loaf of bread from his pack. "Have this."

She smiled and pinched a piece off. Walter sat with her to eat, too, and the silence only lasted a moment.

"Thank you," she said and he nodded clumsily.

"It's no trouble…" he replied shyly. "A… a pretty girl like you shouldn't starve. What are you doing out here alone, anyway? It's dangerous."

"I keep moving," she replied. "I stay in no place longer than I have to. I'm Aeriana," she told him. "I used to serve Lord Rahl in the People's Palace… I was told of you once. I'm glad more people than I thought escaped the siege after our lord was defeated."

"Oh, just barely," he admitted with another smile that caused an ache in her chest. She tried not to let the pain show on her face.

"It must be hard," she said, "walking around with his face…"

"Oh, you have no idea," Walter grumbled. "I hide the best I can but taverns and towns always reject me when they see who I look like. Mostly they try to kill me! Finding food is hard… I—" But he suddenly stopped and stared at her strangely.

"What?" she asked apprehensively.

"What if… what if we traveled together?" he asked. She frowned but he motioned frantically. "Hear me out! I could help keep you safe on the road… and you could go get the food whenever we stop by a town or a tavern or farmstead—no one would turn you down."

Aeri dropped her gaze to the bread in her hands, considering his proposal.

"Think about it…" he went on. "I mean… you're alone, aren't you?"

She nodded and he waited quietly for her response.

"Alright," she agreed. He smiled again and she stood up, heart clenching in her chest. Walter stumbled to his feet and followed after her when she began walking.

"So… Aeriana," he began, but paused. "How about I call you Aeri for short?"

She whirled to face him.

"No," she demanded and then took a breath. "No…" This time it was softer. He swallowed his embarrassment like a lump in his throat.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's not your fault. You didn't know… It's just that… _he_ used to call me that. I don't like hearing it from anyone but him."

They started walking again.

"I didn't know," he reiterated. "I guess it brings back bad memories for you."

"Not bad," she told him. "The best memories of my life."

"Huh?"

She smiled back at him, nearly stopping him in his tracks by the innocent beauty of her expression. Such a simple smile seemed to fill the space around her with light.

"I… _loved_ Lord Darken Rahl… with all my heart," she said quietly. "I still do."

"Love?" he asked bewildered.

"Yes…"

Walter watched that beautiful expression of hers soften into one of sadness. At the time, he did not know how her sad face would break his heart, and how her smile would heal it.

/

Aeri's shoulders shook with her sobs as she knelt by the fire. Walter was fast asleep and the world was dark around her. Her every thought had been on her master since the day he'd left her and died, but the pain had numbed to bearable… until Walter had crossed her path. He'd had the face of her lover but the voice of a stranger. When he was awake and about, she could tell it wasn't the man she loved; but when he was sleeping, he looked just like Darken and it caused her heart to wind into knots.

The fire suddenly blazed brightly, startling her from her crying for just a moment. When she looked up, tears still in streaks down her cheeks, she gasped. Darken Rahl stood within the flames, staring down at her softly.

"Aeri…" he said quietly.

"My lord?" she asked, stunned.

"Why are you crying, Aeri?" he wanted to know, kneeling down in front of her. She burst into more tears, provoking him to reach out and wipe them away, but he could not touch her.

"I miss you so much…" she cried into her palms. "Your lookalike, Walter, has been traveling with me. And every time I see his face, I long for you." She looked up at his face and tried to touch him, but her hand went straight through, provoking another swell of tears. "Every day, my heart breaks all over again. I miss you so much."

Rahl leaned closer and set his face next to hers then whispered in her ear.

"It's all right to take comfort in that," he said quietly. "Soon, this boy's body will be mine, and I will come back to you." His tone dropped to a husky one. "I will embrace you once again." He gently kissed her mouth, though neither felt it, and he returned to the fire.

"Darken," she called before he could disappear. "I love you."

He smiled.

"That's a good girl," he said softly. "Now stop crying. I'll be with you soon." And then he disappeared.

Aeri did her best to obey him. She brushed the tears off of her cheeks and sniffled back any swells. When she looked over at Walter, she had to purse her lips upward and fight the urge. Rahl's words echoed in her mind: _you can take comfort in this._

She crawled over to the sleeping man and laid her head on his chest. His heartbeat sounded so different than Rahl's, but his skin was warm. She cuddled closer and Walter stirred.

"What? What?" he muttered sleepily and propped himself up on his elbows. Aeri looked up at him with innocent eyes. "What are… you doing?" he asked nervously.

"Is it all right for me to be this way?" she asked. "For tonight, can I be like this with you? When I close my eyes, I can feel him near me." She closed her eyes and smiled.

Walter licked his lips while his eyes focused on hers. She was so close to him. He could see her sadness and vulnerability and wanted to comfort her. He'd always hated his face and wanted to wriggle out of it; but for the first time since he'd grown into the image of Darken Rahl, he realized he could do something good for someone because of the way he looked.

Walter swallowed hard and hesitantly kissed her. She flinched back.

"Walter—"

"It's okay," he said, mimicking Rahl's voice perfectly. "You don't have to be afraid."

The look in her eyes made him melt. For a moment, her eyes sparkled with the illusion and he felt the intense love Rahl must've felt every day when they were together. Though there was a flicker of guilt in his gut, there was mostly desire in his heart. Her sorrowful expressions day by day could not be lifted by anything he said or did, and he was suddenly addicted to the feeling of giving her an ounce of joy.

Walter kissed her again and she kissed back. There was a hunger in her actions that he wasn't prepared for, and he was quickly finding himself as eager as she seemed. Perhaps, there would be a use for his skin after all; if she could overlook the fact that he wasn't the real Darken Rahl, maybe they could have a life together. He was already falling for her—he had been since they'd met. At first, he was surprised that anyone could have feelings for Rahl, and thought that if she could then she must be a bad person. But once he got to know her, he was instantly jealous that someone as cruel and wicked as Rahl could have found such an innocent and honest love.

He pulled her onto his lap and held her closer, thoroughly engaged and excited. He felt her fingers through his hair, grabbing fistfuls and tugging passionately, and he felt himself getting carried away with his feelings. His courage was bolstered.

"Aeri," he muttered in the accent. Her erotic sigh stirred up more of his courage. Caught up in the moment, Walter pressed into her lips, his tongue dancing with hers, and he reached up to caress her face. "Aeri," he groaned, "I love you."

That was when her hands pressed to his chest and she pushed away.

"I can't, I'm sorry," she said suddenly. "I didn't mean for this to happen. I'm sorry."

"W—what's wrong?" he asked, the nasally tone returned.

"Thank you, Walter," she said, head hung. "I appreciate what you tried to do for me, but I cannot do this with anyone but him…"

"What did I do wrong?" he persisted, confused.

"Please don't say you love me, not with his voice."

"But doesn't he tell you he loves you?" he asked. She said nothing and made no motion. He frowned and lifted her face by the chin. "Never?" he asked and she shook her head. "He's _never_ told you? How can you love a person who doesn't love you back? How can you stay loyal to a one-sided feeling?"

"I love him," she said simply. "I always have. Even though he never says it back, I think he loves me, too… in his own way. Being with him is enough… I wish you could understand."

Walter didn't understand, but he nodded when he saw how heartbroken she looked again. He opened his arm to her and hugged her tight when she laid her head on his shoulder. They lay down again and he wrapped both arms around her tightly so that she could feel, at least, some comfort.

"It's all right," he whispered in Rahl's accent. "I'm right here… You don't have to be afraid."

/

Rahl grunted when the dakra stuck fast into his side. His brother's words were expected once the magical threat had been made.

"Sister Tyra is going with you to the temple," Richard began. "Now you're going to get the scroll and bring it straight back. Otherwise, she'll release the magic of the dakra, and you'll be dead again in a heartbeat."

He managed a grimace in Richard's direction.

"This really wasn't necessary," Rahl muttered. "I would've done exactly as I promised…"

"Well I won't have to take that on good faith now, will I?" Richard whispered. Rahl pulled his gaze away from his brother and turned his glaring eye on Walter.

"You," he began and the skittish boy jumped, disgracing the D'Haran uniform he now wore. "Where is she?"

Walter fidgeted hesitantly. The others noticed and Richard stepped toward him.

"What is he talking about?" he asked. Rahl ignored the question, remaining focused on Walter.

"Where is she?" he persisted. Walter shuffled and the girl at his side held his hand tightly.

"What's he talking about, Walter?" she whispered.

"W-why should I tell you?" Walter suddenly exclaimed. "She's better off without you. You s-should just stay away from her!"

Rahl grinned then chuckled.

"You and I both know that's not true. She rejected you in favor of me even when I was still a spirit." His words bit into Walter and it was satisfying to see since the man had been fool enough to defy him. "A love like that cannot be stopped by death. What makes you think you are qualified to stand in our way?"

"Who is he talking about?" Richard demanded to know.

"Aeriana," Walter replied.

"Who's Aeriana?"

"Aeri and I were…" Walter mumbled. Rahl frowned and his eyes hardened.

"You are not to call her in that way," he hissed. Walter twitched in fright.

"Aeriana and I traveled together awhile. You know, before all of this trouble started… and I was thrown in the dungeon…" he groaned. "She was… so sad…"

"And don't you want her to smile again?" Rahl asked, his smirk returning. Walter chewed on his bottom lip in thought and then nodded abruptly.

"Yes…" he replied quietly.

"Then tell me where she is."

"In a town not far from here—that's where we parted ways. A place called Riverbrooke."

"Yeah, well you won't be going there anytime soon. The scroll?" Richard interrupted. Rahl eyed him annoyed but consented.

"Of course, brother…"

/

Aeri wiped her brow and hung up the last of the laundry. Working as a serving girl for a farming family just outside of Riverbrooke was pleasant, if not exhausting. It was a way to earn extra coin, a meal, and a place to sleep, and was much safer than traveling the dangerous world.

She touched the beads on her right wrist and felt the little tremor in her heart that always came whenever she thought of Darken Rahl. He'd promised her that he'd come back to her in Walter's body, but she had been forced to part ways with him. Traveling was dangerous and Walter was little protection; plus, her heart ached too often seeing someone else in the skin if the man she loved. Walter had started to fall in love with her, on top of all things, and she had no desire to nurture it.

When they'd arrived at Riverbrooke, she'd said goodbye and found a job. She had no idea what had happened to him, but rumors from town said he'd been rescued from an angry tavern mob by a D'Haran soldier passing through.

Aeri looked up when the breeze began to blow against her face, lightly tossing the laundry back and forth on the wires. She wondered when the day would come when…

Aeri's heart fluttered when she saw the familiar face through the swaying sheets. He was growing closer and there was an unforgettable smirk on his lips. She pushed through the laundry and ran to meet him. Though he no longer wore Walter's rags, he'd not yet returned to the noble red ensemble he once wore. A black uniform fit his perfect body well and she thought he looked as charming as ever.

"It's you, isn't it?" she asked in a hushed voice, resisting the tears already bubbling under her cheeks. He carefully stroked the side of her face, pushing her red, flyaway strands out of her eyes.

"Yes," Darken Rahl replied, gaze stopping at every one of the features of her face; his real eyes longed to look upon the curves and lines he'd only been able to remember. He rested on her stone-colored eyes and stroked her bottom lip with his thumb. "I'm back. And I've come to take you with me, as promised."

Aeri reached out and touched his jaw. She smiled softly, eyes glistening with tears not cried.

"Welcome back…" she whispered happily. Rahl felt the familiar twinge in his chest at her innocence. He gently ran his fingers along the beads wrapped around her wrist.

"I'm glad to see you're still wearing it."

"You told me never to take it off. Besides… it was a gift from you… and all I had left that you'd touched."

"Besides your skin?" He pulled her into a hug and the feelings from before ignited his senses and memory. "How I've longed to do this…" he muttered.

When he was in the underworld, he'd missed the taste of food and the feel of a woman's flesh. Since he'd returned to life, he'd had both, and yet something remained missing. Hugging Aeri—being close to her—filled that void. A long time ago, he'd realized just how much he truly cherished her feelings; it felt unbelievably good to be loved—not out of fear, but out of choice. She loved him unconditionally, a feeling he'd felt from none save her.

"Come," Rahl said, his hand sliding down her arm to link with her fingers. "We've a long way to go."

Aeri grasped his vest and pulled him back into her.

"You promised…" she whispered, "to embrace me again…" Her eyes beckoned to him and he was instantly moved.

"I did, didn't I?" he retorted, caressing the side of her face. He could feel her lips and hot breath tracing a path on his jaw, on his chin, and his eyes fluttered closed in pleasure. "I don't remember you being so forward…"

"It's only because… I don't think I can wait any longer…"

Rahl gripped the back of her neck through her thick, red hair and tipped her head back so he could look into her eyes. He had no intention of making her wait.

His kiss was hard and rough and full of need. He pulled her into him and she threw her arms around him. When they tumbled to the ground in a passionate lock, the dakra missed them by only an inch and stuck fast into the laundry bream.

...

Richard, Kahlan, and Cara drew their weapons as Zedd readied wizard's fire as the figure appeared over the hill. The dark hair of Darken Rahl and his commanding silhouette was unmistakable, but it was the girl in his arms that caused them to lower their weapons.

They rushed across the dry grass of the plain to meet him and were surprised when he laid a red-headed girl at their feet.

"What happened?" Richard asked frantically, tracking the gross amount of blood covering her.

"We were ambushed by Sisters of the Dark," Rahl explained. "She was wounded with the dakra and has lost a lot of blood. I no longer have my magic—there's nothing I can do. You must heal her."

Zedd and Kahlan knelt to examine her.

"These wounds were poorly tended," Kahlan said quietly. "She's unconscious… Her pulse is shallow."

"I thought you went by way of Riverbrooke," Richard blurted. "Wasn't there someone in town? Why didn't you help her?"

"The magic of the dakra will surely have tainted her blood. Even with the proper bandages, she would still be dying," Rahl reminded him. "Rather than waste time there, I quickly wrapped her up and brought her as fast as I could."

"This won't redeem you," Richard reminded him. Rahl turned a glare on his brother.

"I don't care what you think of my motives, brother, but you will heal her."

And he was right. Zedd quickly began muttering his healing spell, hands covering the bloody gashes on her stomach, and drew the poison into himself. Her body healed and the pain withdrew.

"She'll need some rest," Zedd announced, "but she'll be fine by morning…"

The Seeker and his companions set up camp and prepared a fire where Aeriana could rest and Rahl remained quietly at her side. When Kahlan returned with firewood and found she was alone with Rahl, she decided to go back out to spare herself his presence, but his words stopped her.

"You were wrong, Kahlan," he said quietly. She turned to look back at him and saw his small smirk as his eyes transferred from hers to the unconscious woman. "I have felt love… from her."

Kahlan's frown slacked into shock.

"Impossible…" she whispered. His smirk widened and one hand rubbed the back of the other.

"Yes…" he mumbled. "I thought so, too."

Kahlan suddenly remembered the red-headed girl they'd once attempted to rescue from a Dragon Core patrol who claimed to be in love with Rahl. Her expression must've given it away because Rahl chuckled.

"Her name is Aeriana… You met her once before. She left you to return to my side."

"I remember," Kahlan told him. "We thought for sure she was dead."

"Oh, no. Far from it, in fact. In my heart I knew she could never betray me."

Kahlan frowned as she watched him, staring down at Aeri. They were cast in the glow of the fire, and it softened his features—that could be the only reason for his gentle expression. She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't. And she knew he was a liar. Whatever he was saying, it was somehow corrupted.

"You have no heart," she snapped bitterly.

"And what would you know about it?" he wondered. "Who are you to say what is love and what isn't? Who can be loved and who can't? Even the Mother Confessor has no right to judge these things."

Kahlan took one step toward him.

"I don't have to be the Mother Confessor to know that the only person you will ever love… is yourself."

And then she returned to the woods.

...

Everyone was asleep minus Cara who held the first watch when Aeri woke for the first time. She stirred and blinked away her blurry vision until the blaze of a campfire and the open darkness of a plain came into focus. She slowly sat up and glanced around at the sleeping figures, more than a little surprised at the sight of the Seeker, Mother Confessor, and First Wizard.

Her heart suddenly thumped wildly and a fear that her reunion with Rahl had only been a dream sent a poisonous shock of adrenaline into her veins.

"Darken…" she muttered and her head snapped right to left until finally she noticed him lying next to her, asleep. "Thank the Creator…" she sighed, relieved.

Aeri slipped back into her bedding and rolled closer to her sleeping lord. She smiled when she thought back to her days traveling with Walter and remembered how he'd reminded her of her master. _How foolish I was,_ she thought. It was true that Rahl now possessed the same body as Walter, but there was no mistaking them—not ever. She could see that now.

Aeri tucked two fingers into his curled palm and closed her eyes.

...

As the camp broke the next morning, Aeri found herself recuperated and ready to travel, so she and Darken Rahl silently prepared to leave, unsure if Richard planned to hold them captive to ensure the secrecy of his quest.

"Can I talk to you?" Kahlan asked Aeri as Zedd finished up his breakfast. Aeri glanced back at Rahl, who merely looked at her, and then nodded to the Confessor. Kahlan took her aside, far enough from the group to maintain privacy, and then smiled awkwardly. "Is it true?" she asked. "Is it true that you love Darken Rahl?"

Aeri nodded.

"It's true," she answered. Kahlan peered into the red-head's eyes and read her heart. Then she sighed.

"You're telling the truth…" she mumbled.

"You thought I wouldn't?"

"I thought Rahl was lying."

Aeri glanced back at her master and then returned her gaze to the Confessor, who was discouraged and concerned.

"How could you?" Kahlan wanted to know, but Aeri shook her head.

"I don't think I could make you understand, Mother Confessor. Please don't ask me."

"Aeriana… he will never love you back. He's a selfish, heartless, evil man. He will only hurt you." Kahlan pleaded to better judgment, hoping she could make the girl see the truth. "The path you're going down is one of suffering. He will not stay true to you, and abuse the feelings you have for him. He will only hurt you."

"It's okay," Aeri said and she smiled. Her innocence filled Kahlan's heart with sadness. "I know, and it's okay. Because I love him, and I want to stay by his side. He doesn't have to love me—he doesn't have to say the words. I never hoped that I would be his one and only. My only desire is to serve him. And if I can be allowed to love him, I won't die with any regrets."

Though Kahlan could not understand Aeri's reasoning at all, she didn't have the capacity to argue with such a pure heart. When the camp broke and the groups went their separate ways, Kahlan turned back and walked back to Rahl, who motioned for Aeri to go one ahead of him.

With a determined glare in her eyes, she stomped up to him and focused on his eyes.

"That girl loves you," she said sharply, and all of her words were hard for her to say. "And if someone like you has yet to taint her purity, then I have hope for her. You should cherish that."

Rahl stared down at her quietly, face set to an unreadable expression. Finally, Kahlan asked the question she'd hoped to read the answer to before she ever had to ask.

"Do you love her?"

Rahl glanced back at Aeri, who was waiting for him up the path. He looked back at Kahlan.

"In the only sense I know…" he muttered. "Yes. I love her."

"Then you should never hurt her," she hissed, and left.

When Darken Rahl caught up with Aeri, she asked him what the Mother Confessor had wanted, but he only grunted and muttered a distasteful curse.

"Are we returning to the People's Palace, my lord?" she asked as they walked.

"Not yet—but soon, when this is all over. You will go with me to my hideaway and we will wait there until the tear in the veil is sealed."

"Of course," she agreed with a private smile. "Anything to serve you."


End file.
